Policy Governance, developed by John Carver, is a cutting edge operating system for Boards of Directors. It focuses on helping the board be accountable to the owners and CEO being accountable to the board. The only complete system of governance known in the world today, Policy Governance offers a rational framework that allows for effective and efficient governing.

About the Carver Policy Governance® Model

This section is designed to help you connect what you know about boards and governance with a premier form of governing, Policy Governance. Information here explains how Policy Governance addresses the needs, challenges and promises of good governance. It will also allow you to assess whether or not it might be right for your board. Please explore!

What is the board’s role?

The board is accountable to its ownership to see that the defined purpose as identified in the initiating legal documents (Articles of Incorporation or any other form of creating the corporate entity) is achieved.
The board serves as the agent of the owners and as such is obligated to look out for the safety and soundness of the organization.
In our thinking, “owners” are those with moral ownership, if not legal ownership of the organization. Some find the term “sources of board authority” as a more user-friendly term for the ownership.

Owners care about the long term sustainability and impacts of the organization. The owner mindset is different than a customer mindset. Customers are those who are receiving or seek to receive a specific benefit or service of the organization. Customers are the primary concern of the operational organization.

The board’s primary responsibility and concern is with the ownership. The board is the official link between the ownership and the operational organization.